Mt. Pleasant planning ahead for new nutritional guidelines next school year

Mt. Pleasant will soon be making a few changes to its menu in order to comply with new nutritional guidelines.

Aramark Food Service Director Lindsay Webb said that due to new nutritional regulations being handed down from federal and state administration, the district will soon be changing what it offers to middle and high school students.

“They want everything to be whole grain,” she said. “It’s going to have a fat content maximum, sodium maximum, calorie maximum, and it’s going to be much more restricted.”

The district is currently in compliance with regulations, opting to serve fat free milk, baked chips and other more healthful goods, but as the district’s suppliers, like Land O’Lakes and Tyson Foods, Inc. develop new and healthier products, they will make their way toward cafeteria trays, Webb said.

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Most of the changes will impact the a la carte items, she said.

“The main entrees ... probably won’t be changing too much,” she said.

Because there isn’t an a la carte service at elementary schools, the changes will only affect middle and high school students.

Webb addressed the school board on Monday night about the changes.

Students will get a chance to sample some of the new products, like a whole grain Rice Krispie treat, before the end of the school year, Webb said.

That way, students won’t have to buy something they’ve never tried before.

The district also hopes to have more sample days for students in the future.

Administrators reiterated that the reason the changes are being made is to comply with the guidelines handed down from federal and state levels.

“They make the assumption we are doing this because we are mean,” President Tim Odykirk laughed.

The district is also making an effort to cut the large amount of unpaid lunch debt the district has accrued.

The debt was initially reported at $73,300 in October 2013.

Right now, Chief Financial Officer Ginger Stowell said, the debt is currently at $72,600.

Stowell said the debt is slowly decreasing, and while the district has acquired tribal grants to help make a dent in the balance, administration is reaching out to find the neediest families that need the most help in clearing their debt.

Administrators said that while the district is working to bring the balance down, it is continuing to serve meals to students who do have a negative lunch balance.

“No child is going hungry,” Superintendent Mike Pung said.

Students with a negative balance can still get a cafeteria meal, though they are unable to purchase a la carte items.

“I’m working as hard as I possibly can, but still feeding the kids,” Webb said.

The district recently received a $18,485 nutrition grant from the Central Michigan District Health Department that will be used to help provide incentives, such as Isabella County Transportation Commission passes and gas station gift cards, to get needy families to come fill out free and reduced lunch applications.

The district has to spend the grant money by June 30, Stowell said.

Webb said the district has seen a 6 percent increase in meals between last year and this year.

At this point last year, the district had served 228,845 meals. This year, it has served 228,125.

The numbers are only down overall because of the large amount of snow days this year, Webb said.

Each day has an increase of about 100 meals over this time last year.

Future goals include increasing the meal counts even further and revamping the district’s catering and adult menu to make it easier for staff to order for events and lunches.

About the Author

Randi Shaffer has been the Isabella County reporter for the Morning Sun since 2012. An alumna of CMU, she is in the process of obtaining her MSA degree. Obsessions include hockey, yoga and vegetables. Reach the author at rshaffer@michigannewspapers.com
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